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Devin James

Name: Devin James

Book Series: Demon Blade (from the Nocturne line)

Job: Unofficial paladin.  Teaches at a friend’s martial arts gym on the side.

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 170

Hair Color: a dark, nutty brown

Eye Color:  blue-grey

From: Albuquerque, NM

Significant Other: Natalie Chambers

Signature Move: A partnership with his demon blade and all that comes with it–and that means always somehow having the right weapon for the moment–whenever, whatever

Kill Highlights: He doesn’t consider them highlights.  He does what’s necessary.

Enemies:  The demon blade.  Anyone who wants the demon blade.  Anyone who has a demon blade.  Anyone who would hurt anyone else.  It’s a busy life…

Favorite Pastime: Running and Tai Chi with Natalie, and other…grounding activities.  Yeah.  Let’s call it that.

Other Facts: Devin James wields a demon blade. Or does the demon blade wield him? The bond between man and steel is soul deep, the source of Devin’s power and an ever-present torment. Struggling against the evil forged within the blade, Devin patrols the dark streets of Albuquerque, searching for innocents to rescue.  The blade enhances his strength, his agility, his ability to heal…and in its search for redemption, it sends him out to fight the battles it craves.  It can take the shape of any non-projectile weapon–but like Devin, this blade has never had to face another of its kind.  And like Devin, it’s about to…

So Devin needs to stay sharp.  What better place than a supernatural smackdown?

#

Devin James and the Demon Blade

Here’s the thing about me and the blade…at any given time, one of us is just a little bit mad.

Usually it’s the blade, but you never really know.

Anheriel is its name, and it thinks a lot of itself.  I suppose it has reason, the little bastard.  I didn’t understand its nature when it latched onto my brother, and neither did he. Eventually it drove him to the wild road.

That’s the nice way to say it.  Bug-fuck crazy is another.  Or just plain evil…take your pick.  So when my brother died and the blade moved onto me, I knew what was coming.

I’m fighting it, let’s put it that way.

But damn, the thing comes in handy, too.  How could it not?  Yeah, it goes looking for trouble.  That’s its whole gig.  Elemental spirit trapped in a blade and turned into living metal, now on a search for redemption.  So yeah, it can take the form of whatever bladed weapon it wants.  Anheriel hangs out as a pocket knife most of the time, but if someone calls up the asshole factor, they’re gonna be looking at a specialty tactical blade–agate handle, sweet sharp blade, strong cut-back…deadly.

I told you it thinks a lot of itself.

Now and then it has an excuse to show up as a saber.  It likes that.  Things never end well for the other guy when that happens.

They never end well for the blade wielder, either.  Not in the long run.  A demon blade needs a human to get the job done–the looking for trouble, the resolving it.  The redemption.  But the damned things can’t help but be what they are–insidious, devious darkness.  So they get into a wielder’s head…into his soul.  They use up wielders and throw them away, hunting for the one who’ll be strong enough to hold fast.  Because it’s always there–that little whisper, that little suggestion to go too far.  To take advantage of the strengths it provides.  Because unless the bad guy has a blade, he won’t be faster than I am.  Simple truth, that.  And if he hurts me, I’m not staying down.  Healing fast is a bitch and I pay the price, but I can take a licking and come back for more.  And the way the blade cleans up the scene…it’s so easy to take that one step too far. To go from stopping trouble to being the trouble.

That’s okay.  As it turns out, I intend to be the one who’s strong enough–maybe the first one.  And I’ve already gotten this far.

So what am I doing here?  You’d think I’d have enough of this kind of thing.  But one thing I’ve learned from Natalie is this:  If I’m going to fight this bastard of a blade, I’ve got to get in its face.  I don’t wait for it to come to me with its trouble–not any longer.  I go looking.  And I make my own choices.  And this little gathering…hell, yeah, it’ll keep that demon busy.

Hear that, Anheriel?  Bring it on.

VOTE HERE!!

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About Doranna:

Doranna responded to all early injunctions to “put down that book/notebook and go outside to play” by climbing trees to read & write. Such quirkiness of spirit has led to an eclectic publishing journey, spanning genres over 30 novels to include mystery, SF/F, action-romance, paranormal, franchise, and a slew of essays and short stories.

But after all that, mostly she still prefers to hang around outside her New Mexico mountain home with the animals, riding dressage on her Lipizzan and training for performance sports with the dogs. She doesn’t believe so much in mastering the beast within, but in channeling its power. For good or bad has yet to be decided…

Dun Lady’s Jess, Doranna’s first published fantasy novel, received the 1995 Compton Crook/Stephen Tall award for the best first book in the fantasy, science fiction, and horror genres. When she’s not writing, Doranna builds web pages, including this one.

You can visit Doranna around the web here: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Want to read more from Doranna Durgin?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

This contest is provided by Doranna Durgin

Two lucky winners will each receive a copy of Taming the Demon

 

Available May 7, 2013 from Harlequin

About this Book:

Their passion threatens her life and his tortured soul.?Devin James wields a demon blade. Or does the demon blade wield him? The bond between man and steel is soul deep, the source of Devin’s power and an ever-present torment. Struggling against the evil forged within the blade, Devin patrols the dark streets of Albuquerque, searching for innocents to rescue. That’s how he finds Natalie Chambers?.

Natalie is sure that helping Devin is another in a long series of very bad decisions, but she can’t abandon the man who saved her life—a man who believes that the demon blade might turn him into a monster. And she is powerless to resist their fierce attraction.

Love is their only chance at salvation. Can they now find the courage to take that chance? And can they keep the blade from the man who would destroy them both?

Click HERE to read an excerpt

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Nouiomo “Noon” Onyx

Name: Nouiomo “Noon” Onyx

Book Series: The Noon Onyx Series (I don’t know who named it that; it sounds a little narcissistic if you ask me)

Job: Student at St. Lucifer’s Law School (good ole St. Luck’s) where they train us to be Maegesters or demon peacekeepers. (We don’t have a say in the matter. If you’re born with waning magic, you train to be a Maegester. Period. End of story. Even if you’re the only female with waning magic anyone’s ever heard of.) It’s a job that’s as musty and dusty and full of old books as it is a job that’s bloody and muddy and full of things that can kill you.

Height: 5’8”

Weight: Not enough. My Manipulation instructor (he teaches us how to control our magic, shape it into a weapon, and then fight with it) is always telling me how disadvantaged I am. I have no prior experience, I’ve developed bad habits, and I’m not as physically large as the demons I may have to fight. (Care to cast your vote for me now in the Supernatural Smackdown? ;-)) That’s okay because my magic is some of the strongest magic anyone at St. Luck’s has ever seen.

Hair Color: A demon once compared my hair to “the cool dark waters of a mountain spring at midnight”— just before comparing my skin to the white milky sap of a dandelion and my lips to a quivering beating heart. Yep, he was a perverted misogynist, and yep, he got what was coming to him.

Eye Color: Dark brown, which sounds kind of boring. Would it help if I described them as “entirely black, devoid of pupils and eerily intense” “smoky and unreadable” or “like two bits of blown black glass”? Okay, never mind. That would be cheating. That’s how I’ve described Ari’s eyes. (What can I say? I’m hopelessly in love with him.) Truth is, my eyes are often bleary and bloodshot and usually have deep, dark circles under them.

From (Location): Etincelle, a sleepy little village across the Lethe from New Babylon, the city where St. Luck’s is. Etincelle is old money & old magic.

Significant Other: Aristos “Ari” Carmine – another Maegester-in-Training at St. Luck’s. He was adopted and grew up in Bradbury, a New Babylon neighborhood that is full of hard-working humans with no magic: dockworkers, longshoremen, and stevedores.

Signature Move: Honestly? My signature move is to avoid killing and being killed. But admitting that first part here probably isn’t the best idea. I heard we have to take Artifice class next year. It will teach us how to say things like “Laborare pugnare parati sumus. To work or fight; I am ready.” And to look like we mean it. Of course, I know it takes more than artifice to make a good fighter. It takes heart and courage. It takes internal conviction, not external bluster. But, hey, I’ll take all the help I can get.

Kill Highlights: [grinds teeth] [bites lip] [‘fesses up] I’m gonna be severely under experienced for this competition, aren’t I? That’s okay. I love underdogs. They can surprise people.

Enemies: Rogare demons. In my world, some demons are law-abiding, while some are not. They’re all scary, but the ones who can’t even follow the rules – who take far more than the sacrifices they are offered – they are the ones who are truly evil. It’ll be my job as a Maegester (ahem, if I live to see Graduation Day) to serve the law-abiding demons and police the evil ones.

Favorite Pastime: Who has time for a pastime? I’ve got a library carrel full of mind-numbing, head-spinning, guaranteed-to-make-your-eyes-glaze-over treatises, hornbooks, primers, casebooks, and legal reporters all waiting to be read. I have five classes and five hundred (thousand) hours of school work to catch up on. I’ve got my first field assignment coming up and now I’ve been drafted for this Supernatural Smackdown. But there’s a reason I agreed to do it. Someone close to me needed my help. So, as uncharacteristic as willingly entering a “smackdown” may be for me, I am ALL IN!

#

Okay, so it’s pretty obvious from my bio above that I take rules and instructions seriously. (Who of us who lives in Halja doesn’t?) You asked for a brief bio and I gave you the story of my life.

Those of you that know me may be wondering what the heck I’m doing here. What in all of Luck’s blasted battlefield would a pacifist be doing in a cage match?

It’s Fitz’s fault. He’s one of my buds from St. Luck’s. And he got himself into trouble. He’s always getting himself into trouble, but this time he ticked off Darius Dorio, our Council Procedure professor. (There are only two people keeping Fitz enrolled at St. Luck’s: Dorio and Waldron Seknecus, the Dean of Demon Affairs, which is ironic since Fitz has absolutely no magic). My point? Fitz is on dangerous ground with the faculty. Dorio, who loves a good show, hinted to me that if I were to perform “admirably” in this smackdown he might reconsider his recommendation to expel Fitz.

Well, I have no idea what “admirably” means. It could mean anything from me taking the WORLD CHAMPION SUPERNATURAL TITLE to me falling on my face (come to think of it, either would probably suffice; “admirably” probably just means “entertaining” to Dorio). But, nonetheless, that brings me to *here* – this cage match. I figured, since Fitz got me into this mess, he could introduce me. But Seknecus forbade him to leave campus. So, it falls to me to do it, which is probably for the best, right?

But how to begin? Certainly not with the ponderous description that usually precedes me when I’m formally introduced (“This is Nouiomo Onyx of Etincelle, daughter of Karanos Onyx, executive of the Demon Council, and Aurelia Onyx nee Ferrum of the Hawthorne Tribe”). And definitely not with the calling cards I sometimes imagine for myself (the latest iteration would probably include things like “destroyer of gardens and greens” “accidental demon killer” “bonfire fan” “paranoid about showing décolletage due to demon mark” “great dancer after drinking ensorcelled apple wine” and “near permanent resident of the unpopular tax and tithing section of Corpus Justica, our law library”).

Let’s just dispense with the introduction. I think you know me well enough by now. Well enough to answer this question.

How likely is it that I’ll shape a dagger… or a sword… or a sickle… or a scythe… or any other deadly weapon out of waning magic and then use it to dismember or disembowel a fellow combatant?

I know how to do it. But let’s face it. I’m not going to. If getting blood on my hands or burning someone is a sine qua non for victory in the ring, I’ll find another way to help Fitz.

Now *some people* (ahem, Brunus) might start snarkily suggesting right about now that my next move will be to sit down crisscross applesauce style on the floor while insisting that all of you up in the stands hold hands. No way. I’d much rather grab a drink with everyone – including whoever my opponent is – and then head back here to watch the next match. Care to join me? Marduk’s at St. Luck’s? That way Fitz can come too.

VOTE HERE!!

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About Jill:

Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jill earned a bachelor of science from Penn State University and later moved to Baltimore to attend the University of Baltimore School of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude. She went on to practice law as a “dirt lawyer” for ten years, specializing in real estate law, municipal development, commercial leasing, and anything involving exceedingly lengthy legalese-like contractual monstrosities.

Jill now lives in rural Maryland with her two children and husband, who is a recreational pilot. Weekends are often spent flying around in the family’s small Cessna, visiting tiny un-towered airfields and other local points of interest.

You can visit Jill around the web here: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Want to read more from Jill Archer?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

This giveaway is provided by Jill Archer

One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Dark Light of Day & a signed copy of Fiery Edge of Steel

Available May 28, 2013 from ACE/Penguin

About this Book:

Lucifer and his army triumphed at Armageddon, leaving humans and demons living in uncertain peace based on sacrifice and strict laws. It is up to those with mixed demon and human blood, the Host, to prevent society from falling into anarchy.

Noon Onyx is the first female Host in memory to wield the destructive waning magic that is used to maintain order among the demons. Her unique abilities, paired with a lack of control and reluctance to kill, have branded her as an outsider from her peers. Only her powerful lover, Ari Carmine, and a roguish and mysterious Angel, Rafe Sinclair, support her unconventional ways.

When Noon is shipped off to a remote outpost to investigate several unusual disappearances, a task which will most likely involve trying and killing the patron demon of that area, it seems Luck is not on her side. But when the outpost settlers claim that an ancient and evil foe has stepped out of legend to commit the crimes, Noon realizes that she could be facing something much worse than she ever imagined…

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Katherine “Kitty” Katt-Martini

Name: Katherine “Kitty” Katt-Martini

Book Series: The Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt Series, from DAW Books

Job: Co-Head Ambassador for American Centaurion

Height: 5’4”

Weight: None of your beeswax

Hair Color: Blonde, red, whatever looks good today

Eye Color: blue

From (Location): Pueblo Caliente, AZ, now residing in Washington, D.C.

Significant Other: Jeff Martini, former Head of Field for Centaurion Division, now Co-Ambassador, super-empath, sexual god

Signature Move: Extra Hold Hairspray in the face

Secret Weapon: Huge, cheap leather purse that holds everything in the world inside it; makes Kitty’s ability to find the right weapon easier, because that purse has anything she can think of in it at all times

Kill Highlights: Has taken out monsters with extra hold hairspray, a Mont Blanc pen, a Glock .23, Everhold (extra hold hairspray mixed with Everclear), Kung Fu, rock ‘n’ roll, alligators, stilettos, and extraterrestrial royal pets to name only a few

Enemies: Evil space monsters, lunatic politicians, crazed megalomaniacs, anti-alien conspirators, the Mastermind

Favorite Pastime: listening to Aerosmith turned up to 11, having sex with Jeff Martini

Other Facts: Was on track team all through HS and college; somewhere between brown and black belt in Kung Fu; has ability to turn anything at hand into a useful weapon; thinks so far outside the box she may not realize there IS a box; mother is former Mossad and now the head of U.S. anti-terrorism so Kitty comes by the skills genetically; mutation has given her many additional skills, including the ability to talk to space animals

#

Hey there! I’m Katherine “Kitty” Katt-Martini and I narrate the true-life series about the aliens from Alpha Centauri who live amongst us. I share what it’s like to live and work among the most gorgeous people on Earth, who also have nifty talents like hyperspeed, super-strength, empathic skills, and the ability to read people from their pictures, to name only some of the cool stuff A-Cs can do.

I started out as a marketing manager. Then a parasitic superbeing hit some dude in front of me and turned him into a big fugly monster. I took him out, the boys from Alpha Four of the Alpha Centauri System showed up and took me to Area 51, and my new life as the world’s best accidental badass began.

I was the Head of Airborne for Centaurion Division for a while, getting to spend my days protecting the Earth from space monsters, evil politicians, crazed megalomaniacs, and anti-alien conspirators trying to take over and destroy everyone. (Trust me, the politicians are the worst, by far.) I married my alien sex god, Jeff, and we had a daughter, Jamie, who’s extra-special, just like her daddy.

And because of Jamie, I’m a little bit extra-special now, myself. I’ve mutated into a sorta-alien — still human (haven’t grown an extra heart — yet!), but with some of the nice bells and whistles, like hyperspeed and faster healing and regeneration. Yeah, I’m Wolverine with Boobs, which is pretty cool, actually. And I’m also kind of like the new Dr. Doolittle. Don’t ask.

And then, the unimaginable happened — Jeff and I got shoved into the roles as the head diplomats for American Centaurion. I know — what were they thinking? I’m still better with a gun, a crazed plan, or running my mouth, but so far, we’re surviving in Washington, D.C. fairly well. I mean, the world’s still here and the buildings are still standing, and, believe me, that hasn’t been a given.

Things are changing even more for us in Alien in the House, but to tell you what would give away the surprises. And we wouldn’t want that. No, we’re here for another reason — to kick butt.

I entered this contest because I fight evil humans and terrifying space monsters for breakfast, and I’m a wife, mother, and career woman. There is, literally, nothing I can’t do. (Well, other than work mazes very well, but I digress…) With the additions of hyperspeed and super-strength to my arsental, combined with faster healing and regeneration, I might get knocked down, but I get right back up again. So other tough girls? I save the world on a daily basis. I know I can take you. Bring it.

VOTE HERE!!

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About Gini:

Gini Koch lives in Hell’s Orientation Area (aka Phoenix, AZ), works her butt off (sadly, not literally) by day, and writes by night with the rest of the beautiful people. She writes the fast, fresh and funny Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books, the Necropolis Enforcement Files series, and the Martian Alliance Chronicles series for Musa Publishing. As G.J. Koch she writes the Alexander Outland series. She also writes under a variety of other pen names (including Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch), listens to all kinds of music 24/7, and is a proud comics geek-girl willing to discuss at any time why Wolverine is the best superhero ever (even if Deadpool does get all the best lines). She speaks frequently on what it takes to become a successful author and other aspects of writing and the publishing business. She is also the Lead Editor at Raphael’s Village, an online, nonpaying ’zine. Because she wasn’t busy enough, Gini’s added on featured guest columnist, reviewer, and webcaster for Slice of SciFi and It’s Comic Book Day. She can be reached through her website at www.ginikoch.com.

You can visit Gini around the web here: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Want to read more from Gini Koch?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Giveaway #1 is provided by DAW/Penguin

Four lucky winners will each receive a copy of Alien in the House

Giveaway #2 is provided by Gini Koch

One lucky winner will receive back list of the series, Books 1-6 (Touched by an Alien, Alien Tango, Alien in the Family, Alien Proliferation, Alien Diplomacy, or Alien vs. Alien), signed and personalized, along with a set of cover magnets, cover postcards, and signed flyers

Available May 7, 2013 from DAW/Penguin

About this Book:

Jeff and Kitty Katt-Martini have learned the ins and outs of Washington politics, not to mention how to prevail in intergalactic war and foil dangerous plots. But, in the aftermath of Operation Destruction, the Gower girls’ powers are burned out, the entire A-C population has been “outed” as the aliens living on Earth that they are, and, worst of all, ACE is nowhere to be found.

Then murder and mayhem are served up at an important dinner party at the American Centaurion Embassy, and when the dust settles Alpha Team and the Diplomatic Corps have more problems than just a dead Congressman.

Is there a single criminal mastermind—or multiple enemies—behind all the conspiracies that want Kitty dead and the A-Cs gone or co-opted to become the War Division?

The return of the best assassins in the business, the reappearance of two individuals long-presumed dead, Agent Malcolm Buchanan felled by something no one can identify or cure, and new technology that can block even the most powerful empath on Earth … all of this means the game’s officially afoot.

Then Vance Beaumont comes to Kitty with a wild theory that someone is systematically killing off the House of Representatives…

It’s up to Kitty and the rest of the gang to find out what’s really going on and why. But will they be able to stop the killer or killers before the rest of the U.S. House of Representatives become casualties? And will the replacement Representative for New Mexico’s 2nd District, who happens to be Jeff Martini, be the next to die?

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Title: Lexicon

Author: Max Barry

Genre: Science Fiction/Thriller

Series: N/A

Publication Date: June 18, 2013

Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages

ISBN-10: 1594205388 (Penguin)

ISBN-13: 978-1594205385 (Penguin)

Reviewed by: Candy

Synopsis:

At an exclusive school somewhere outside of Arlington, Virginia, students aren’t taught history, geography, or mathematics—at least not in the usual ways. Instead, they are taught to persuade. Here the art of coercion has been raised to a science .Students harness the hidden power of language to manipulate the mind and learn to break down individuals by psychographic markers in order to take control of their thoughts. The very best will graduate as “poets”: adept wielders of language who belong to a nameless organization that is as influential as it is secretive.

Whip-smart orphan Emily Ruff is making a living running a three-card Monte game on the streets of San Francisco when she attracts the attention of the organization’s recruiters. She is flown across the country for the school’s strange and rigorous entrance exams, where, once admitted, she will be taught the fundamentals of persuasion by Brontë, Eliot, and Lowell—who have adopted the names of famous poets to conceal their true identities. For in the organization, nothing is more dangerous than revealing who you are: Poets must never expose their feelings lest they be manipulated. Emily becomes the school’s most talented prodigy until she makes a catastrophic mistake: She falls in love.

Meanwhile, a seemingly innocent man named Wil Jamieson is brutally ambushed by two strange men in an airport bathroom. Although he has no recollection of anything they claim he’s done, it turns out Wil is the key to a secret war between rival factions of poets and is quickly caught in their increasingly deadly crossfire. Pursued relentlessly by people with powers he can barely comprehend and protected by the very man who first attacked him, Wil discovers that everything he thought he knew about his past was fiction. In order to survive, must journey to the toxically decimated tow nof Broken Hill, Australia, to discover who he is and why an entire town was blown off the map.

As the two narratives converge, the shocking work of the poets is fully revealed, the body count rises, and the world crashes toward a Tower of Babel event which would leave all language meaningless. Max Barry’s most spellbinding and ambitious novel yet, Lexicon is a brilliant thriller that explores language, power, identity, and our capacity to love—whatever the cost.

Quick & Dirty: Did you know that words could be more deadly than we could ever imagine? Read Max Berry’s book Lexicon to see just how deadly they can be.

Opening Sentence: “He’s coming around.”

Excerpt: No

The Review:

This story is about an organization and a school where they teach people how to use words to persuade others to do things just by saying a few things and then telling them what to do. These people are called Poets. When Poets become advanced in their training enough, they change their names to those of famous Poets so no one can use their true names against them. One child with  Poet potential is a girl named Emily Ruff who lives on the streets and uses cards to survive. When the Poets find her, her whole life changes drastically. Also swept up in a battle between the Poets is a man named Wil Parke, who has no memory of who he is or why these people who call themselves Poets are interested in him.

I had a very hard time getting through this book. The first thirty pages were very confusing for me. The story begins with a character who we are not introduced to waking up with two guys standing over him with a needle in his eye. After a very heated chase there was some random pages discussing what had happened and then a page about trains and how they make you use smart cards to ride them so the government could track you. I never figured out why this was important and throughout the book there were other random “posts”. If the posts were removed  the story would have made it somewhat easier to follow. Also, it was hard to follow at times because they would jump from one time to another; I  had to read for a while to understand if the characters were talking about the past or the present.

I believe that Max Berry has a very good concept with this book and when I wasn’t having a hard time following the story, I actually really liked it. It was a bit gruesome in spots but it was action packed and further into the book you learn something important that just makes you say wow, and want to finish the story to see how it turns out. The idea that words can actually be used to take your will from you is a scary but fascinating thought, and I liked how Barry showed how people could learn to persuade others to do things they never would have otherwise, even kill themselves.

The Poets are scary when you think about it. They can be anyone and they can take away your free will. The worst part is that they have trained themselves to have no feelings so they are not bothered when they hurt others. Two of these Poets include Yeats and Eliot. Eliot is on one side of the Poets and Yeats the other. Eliot is a friend of Emily and tries to help her as much as possible. He is also on the run with Wil as they out run Yeats and others who would hurt them. Yeats is the scariest type of Poet. He has totally shut off his emotions, if he ever had them. He wants to rule all of the Poets and the world. To do this he will need both Emily and Wil. Whether he needs them dead or alive though, is debatable.

I really liked Emily Ruff. She was so full of spunk and even though her life was not easy, she did not give up and let it beat her. Instead she learned how to survive on the street and in the world of the Poets. I wanted Emily to receive everything she wanted and get off the streets. Even when no one else thought that she would amount to anything she proves them wrong and perseveres.  Wil Parke was a good male lead. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like him. He seemed too weak, but as the story progressed he became more likeable. His whole life is changed when he is noticed by the Poets because he is special and they want him so they can figure out what makes him special. He is on the run because if he stops running they may just kill him to get what they want. Wil is more special than he or anyone else knows though.

This book was hard for me to get through, but it was worth reading. I do believe that if Max Berry was to remove some of the extra posts and had time stamps maybe this would be a great story to read over and over again.

Notable Scene:

“I’m Sorry! I won’t tell.” He was halfway across, paused between lanes, his face thick with anger. He waited for a car, threw a glance to his right and ran at her. She screamed, Kassonin!”

His head jerked. He stopped. For a moment he was a child. Then he came back. She saw shock in his eyes and outrage and fear. She was transfixed by his face. Then a car swept him away. She shrieked and couldn’t hear herself over the tires.

FTC Advisory: Penguin provided me with a copy of Lexicon. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Title: Beast Behaving Badly

Author: Shelly Laurenston

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Pride (Book 5)

Publication Date: May 25, 2010

Format: Paperback, 379 Pages

ISBN-10: 0758231687 (Kensingon Brava)

ISBN-13: 978-0758231680 (Kensington Brava)

Reviewed by: Shirene

Synopsis: 

Ten years after Blayne Thorpe first encountered Bo Novikov, she still can’t get the smooth-talking shifter out of her head.  Now he’s shadowing her in New York-all seven-plus feet of him-determined to protect her from stalkers who want to use her in shifter dogfights. Even if he has to drag her off to an isolated Maine town where the only neighbors are other bears almost as crazy as he is…

Let sleeping dogs lie.  Bo knows it’s good advice, but he can’t leave Blayne be.  Blame it on her sweet sexiness — or his hunch that there’s more to this little wolfdog than meets the eye.  Blayne has depths he hasn’t yet begun to fathom — much as he’d like to.  She may insist Bo’s nothing but a pain in her delectable behind, but polar bears have patience in spades.  Soon she’ll realize how good they can be together.  And when she does, animal instinct tells him it’ll be worth the wait…

Quick & Dirty: Place an obsessive time keeper and neat freak with a slob that isn’t concerned with time but passionate about people, throw in a little paranormal and presto you have this story.

Opening Sentence: The face slammed into the protective glass, blood spurting out as cartilage was demolished, bone shattered.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

Sometimes a synopsis or summary are spot on representations of books and other times not so much.  This synopsis is a bit off.  As the reader discovers in this first chapter our key players in this book had a brief meeting which means their eyes met and then Blayne made a run for it ten years ago.  Flash to the present and Blayne and Bo lock eyes again in the middle of a large stadium after a typically violent altercation on the ice hockey rink and this is where the fun really begins.

The interplay and chemistry between Blayne Thorpe and Bo Novikov is what continued to bring me back to this story every time I attempted to put the book down and get errands done.  I adored the fact that Bo was a studious time keeper and neat freak.  The fact that this is what makes him “tick”, I understood completely.  The fact that Blayne was so well intentioned but easily distracted amused me.  Putting such an unlikely couple together is brilliant because there was built-in complexities and challenges even before they started dating.

This book has a good story but being thrown in the deep end was at times a little disheartening because I had no love for the characters that Blayne considered family.  So for me there was an emotional disconnect.  However, Blayne and Bo’s story is well worth the challenge.

The main motivation of placing Blayne under surveillance to protect her was a bit much and I just wanted to reach into the book and strangle Dee-Ann Smith, who is providing under cover protection for Blayne.  Once I finally reached the end of the book, I didn’t hate Dee-Ann with the same level of passion that I did at the beginning, which I will not spoil for you here but thankfully she has redeeming qualities buried very deep.

Some of the interplay between the secondary characters could have been dropped from the story and it wouldn’t have suffered.  The addition of Bo’s foxes was kind of weird and I just didn’t get it.  Sami and Sander spend maybe 30 minutes total in the book to give Bo an easy exit, help Dee near the end of the book and that is it.  I don’t get why Laurenston even added them to this storyline but they are there.

One last “I don’t get it” is why the townsfolk of Ursus County, Maine didn’t notice all the new dogs that were appearing and check into this before the final chapters of the book.  I refuse to spoil this but this bugs me. Then again, I’m the type that likes to be on time which means early and will do a job three different times to ensure I get real results.

Finally, is this a book you should read?  Yes, even with my few quibbles and gripes. I spent an enjoyable day romping through the fields with these characters.  The story of Bo and Blayne was charming and at times hilarious.  Enjoy the book, but I would recommend starting with book 1 to ensure that you enjoy the entire ride with Bo and Blayne.

Notable Scene:

She walked toward him and he automatically backed up.  He couldn’t explain it, but he felt like if he didn’t move, she’d find a way to walk right through him.

“Well, see ya,” she said, heading down the hallway.

“Wait,” he finally called out to her when he’d finally recovered from her complete disregard for the importance of accurate timekeeping.

She faced him but kept walking backward.

“What about getting some coffee?”

She snorted, “God, no.” With that, she turned back around and headed off.

God, no? Did she just say “God, no” to me?  Normally he’d assume the worst with a statement like that, but with her he really couldn’t be sure.

Pride Series:

0.5 Howl For It

1. The Mane Event

2. The Beast in Him

3. The Mane Attraction

4. The Mane Squeeze

5. Beast Behaving Badly

6. Big Bad Beast

7. Bear Meets Girl

8. Wolf with Benefits

FTC Advisory: Kensington Brava provided me with a copy of Beast Behaving Badly. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.